Dark Intruder

by Nerina Hilliard

Librarian This edition's ISBN is in conflict with another's in the database, 0373706162 9780373706167 - Perfectly Matched. It can also be identified by the 373706162.

Carefree, content, young Kerry Derwin wanted life to go on forever just the way it was. To Kerry, love was a lot of nonsense. Certainly she wasn't interested in marrying and settling down. And every one in the village knew it.

So she wasn't very pleased at the upheaval caused by the arrival of a film unit making a movie on the moors. As for the star of the film, Paul Devron, he was conceited and a confirmed ladies' man. Kerry had no intention of adding herself to his long list of conquests.

But that, of course, was before she actually met Paul Devron...

Original isbn 0373706162

Genres: Romance, Harlequin Presents

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Norma Kathleen Hemming was born on September 1928 in Ilford, Essex, England, UK., she migrated to Australia in 1948.

She wrote for local pulp magazine Thrills Incorporated and enthusiastically participated in the Australian fan scene. She was a founding member of the femme fan group Vertical Horizons, and wrote and acted for the SF theatrical group The Arcturian Players. She returned to international publishing in the late 1950s with stories in Nebula SF and New Worlds. She also wrote eight romance novels for Mills & Boon under the pseudonym of Nerina Hilliard, only one was published before her death, through these she had a long posthumous career, because her romances were published from 1958 to 1976, returning royalties to her estate for three decades. She passed away at the age of 31 of breast canceron 4 July 1960 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Reviews

[Naksed]

Wow. These two are certainly going to have an exciting sex life. Always interesting to see how these vintage romance authors turn up the erotic temperature without getting into graphic descriptions. Here, the virginal h and worldly H are both VERY into role play and forced seduction fantasies. As actors, they had scenes together that were like foreplay to their intimate life. I am sure they are going to be the first HPlandia couple to make their own sex video lol. I would have given a higher rating but the neurotic heroine was SO annoying that it was tedious being inside her head. Great, sizzling hero though :)

[RomLibrary]

Carefree, content, young Kerry Derwin wanted life to go on forever just the way it was. To Kerry, love was a lot of nonsense. Certainly she wasn't interested in marrying and settling down. And every one in the village knew it.

So she wasn't very pleased at the upheaval caused by the arrival of a film unit making a movie on the moors. As for the star of the film, Paul Devron, he was conceited and a confirmed ladies' man. Kerry had no intention of adding herself to his long list of conquests.

But that, of course, was before she actually met Paul Devron

[Aou]

Interesting!

[Anuradha]

The story gets off to a spectacular start and I was forced to sit up and take notice of the author. This was the first book that I read of hers, and I was mighty impressed.

I must also admit that after a while, the plot does slacken a bit and becomes rather one dimensional. This book had some brilliant pluses and some minor minuses. So I am going to list them down meticulously.

Whats great about the book:
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- Dreamy , fairy tale premise. Oft exploited but nevertheless lovely. Super star movie heartthrob Paul Devron falls like a ton of bricks for fiesty village lass Kerry Derwin, when he comes to her moorland town for filming.

- Dramatic and vibrant image created in the readers' mind of Kerry's early life, her friends, her tomboyish charm, her hate for romance !

- The heroes' co star in the movie is not a vamp, just a sweet lovely young woman who is a star but also a loving wife to a commoner husband.

- Palpable chemistry between the leads. Rather bold for a old time book.


Things that dint work for me:
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- The excellent build up of support characters - Kerry's friends and village folk simply fade into insignificance after a while.

- Paul is said to be cynical about women because women fall all over him. But not one woman features in the book - swooning over him. Would have been fun to see Kerry's reaction to this !

- Their love story is heavily focused on Paul giving Kerry sex-ed lessons , but I am not exactly complaining here ! (1) How to kiss and like it (2) How to get to second base and still enjoy it (3) How to finally do it and love it !!

- The story is not evenly paced. Things are slow and surreal at the start. Then important steps get glossed over. Like the movie shoot and Kerry's part in it. Like Kerry's family and friends accepting the romance-hating Kerry turning into Paul's sweet heart over-night !

Sum total of it all - I loved the book !!! Great read. 4 stars.

[Lynn Smith]

Not a favorite of mine by Nerina Hilliard. Could be due to the setting which along with Sheikhs, journalists and film sets this was set around movie world. still well written by the author.

[Ellyn (Mrs. Darcy in my Dreams)]

I thought this was a sequel to The Dark Star but it wasn't the right Kerry. I didn't like the premise, don't really like Movie star MCs.

[Ayse]

Sayfalarını yırtıp duvarıma süs yapmak için sahaftan çok ucuza aldığım bu kitap, hayatımda okurken en çok eğlendiğim kitap oldu. Var olduğu 50 yıldan beri belki yüzlerce sahaf ve insan gezmiş olan bu kitabın içinde gözle görülmeyen bitler olduğuna eminim :D Ve ben bunun bitini kocama, kendime ve iş arkadaşlarıma bulaştırdım. Herkes hatır hutur kaşınırken de gözlerimden yaşlar gelene kadar güldüm. Ulan tarihin ilk pick me girl'i Kerry bana yaşattığın bu güzel anları, bombok bir insan olmana rağmen unutmayacağım.

[Fiona Marsden]

This is a rather old fashioned story of a young un-awakened woman and her romance with a sophisticated older man. Kerry is not long out of school, a tomboy used to running around with her twin brother and his best friend.

Paul Devron is a sensually attractive film star, jaded by the pursuit of women. Kerry shies away from him like a nervous filly. She is contemptuous of love and repulsed by the thought of kissing. Her passion is for her horse riding and the moors she loves.

Hilliard writes fascinating heroes who are just a little wicked but are sensitive and deeply passionate under their alpha exterior. Paul is one of these, largely unspoiled by his fame and success with women. His cynicism is understandable when fans go so far as to climb into his bedroom to pursue him.

I was reminded a little of Richard Burton in the types of roles Paul seemed to play but this book would have been written in the 50's so perhaps more Gregory Peck.

[Sarah Coleman]

This was the first M&B I ever read, I was 12 and I've had a soft spot for it ever since. A beautiful and unusual story, I love the blossoming of the heroine from gauche young tomboy unimpressed with the handsome Paul Devron and scathing of romance into a mature woman who realises the power of womanhood and love.

Nerina Hilliard's writing evokes such emotion and she describes the scenery so well, you feel as if you're there in the wilds of Devon, falling in love with the hero. You feel as if you could be the heroine, Kerry, yourself!

I enjoyed the moments of humour too. The ending was rather abrupt, as others have said, but I can definitely overlook this because I love the story so much!

[Jennifer Drogell]

This book is one of my all time favourite books of any genre! I LOVED LOVED this story from the feisty heroine to the to-die-for hero. It's just magical. One of my top 10 books for sure.

[More Books Than Time]

Mediocre book by a usually excellent author. Romance is ridiculous, trite, and I question durability.

[ANGELIA]

This book had its good points, but the story was too improbable, even for a HP book. But one thing stuck out in my mind: what the h's father said to her after she was feeling bad about hurting the OM when she fell for the H. He told her that he'd get over it, because they weren't meant to be together, there wasn't an "affinity" there. He believed in soul mates, two people who have a special affinity love for each other, and who'll know both the great heights and the great depths of the word. He also said that many people never find it, and settle for less, even though they don't realize it and are content with their lives. Unless they actually meet their soul mate, they never know what they're missing. He also added that some people mistake lesser feelings (like physical attraction) for the real thing and sometimes marry the wrong person because of it. He said they might not know it until they face some kind of troubling times in their marriage. (He most likely means the words in the vows, how you stay together when problems arise; if your instinct is to flee, it isn't real love.)

It makes you really think. How many people settle for less, for whatever reason? How many people marry for lust and when that disappears find themselves married to a stranger? How many people are hopelessly confused by a society that tells you there's no such thing as true love, yet spends millions on making movies and publishing books that say the opposite?

But I think I've come up with a clue to solve some of the problem: if you can spend a whole day together just enjoying each other's company but (despite your strong attraction) not getting physical and you still had a great day, it's love. If, on the other hand, you feel the whole day was a waste of time because it didn't include sex, it's only lust.

But with the couple in this book, I guess father knows best.

[Last Chance Saloon]

The heroine (18) is annoying, but I felt that meeting the hero (30s?) caused her life to spiral out of it's happy destiny. He's an actor that specialises in love scenes and getting women hot under the cover, with something of a reputation. He supposedly falls in love (lust) at first sight, but then proceeds to manipulate the unruly and rather dim heroine to marry him. Right until the end she is uncertain about him/them, until they finally have sex and she's drinking the cool aid. She ends up an actress and will spend her life watching her husband real kiss other women, whilst he'll be too possessive to let her do the same in movies. This book had a deeply unpleasant feel to it. She would have been better marrying her childhood friend as the hero is addicted to being a film star.
1 star. I dislike movie star heroes in almost all books, but this one most of all.

[StMargarets]

So many teen girl fantasies rolled into one story. Heroine is a wild child tomboy who is exquisitly beautiful. A leading man actor who is filming on the moors takes a shine to her. Her childhood friend also falls in love with her - so two men chasing. Then she is offered a part in the film and she has an effortless career start!

Hero proposes. There's shopping for the wedding. Then a last minute black moment when the heroine is scared of sex. But it turns out great!

LOL - I would have eaten this up with a spoon when I was a teen. Now - eh - I don't think heroine is mature enough to be married or have a Hollywood career.

[Beebs]

Something about the writing feels clunky and awkward, and reminds me of the writing of Emily Loring.

DNF - nothing really wrong with the book just not feeling it for some reason. h feels way too young to be in an adult romance. It almost feels like a YA except the H is too old for that.

[Diamond]

حورية التلال

من يملك تغيير الفصول ومجرى الأنهار ...وأتجاه الرياح؟ كيرى كانت ربيعا دائما...تعيش كوردة برية في بلدة رستلون . الجميع يعرفها صبية ترعرعت طليقة كالنسيم , جميلة كغصن صنوبر . لذلك فوجئ أهالي البلدة بتحول كيرى الى شوكة تحترق بعد مجيء فريق لتصوير فيلم على أرض المستنقعات . لم يعد يراها أحد...أو يكلمها أو يقترب منها, خاصة ان نجم الفيلم بول دفرون كان في رأيها أنسانا متعجرفا مغرورا وعدوانيا ...ولم تكن لديها النية لأضافة أسمها على لائحته .ماذا جرى؟ كيرى أصبحت خريفا مجنونا حزينا ووحيدا بعد أن ألتقته . حتى صديق طفولتها كلفن لم يكن قادرا على الصمود امام عاصفتها ...أما بول فله رأي آخر في كيري وصديقها , ويوم العاصفة وضع النقاط على الحروف.

[Rose]

One of my all time favorites!! Kelsey is the only girl who doesn't swoon at the name of movie star Paul Devron. Instead of gawking at his movies, she would rather be racing around on her horse, swimming in the sea or dancing ballet in her studio. But when Paul Devron comes to town to film a new movie, the fascination of a challenge makes him take a closer look...

[MissKitty]

I really liked the premise of this book. Young wild heroine and besotted older hero.

[Sara]

This was a good book but, as a previous reviewer said, it slackened of at the end. Which was a bit abrupt btw.